Hunter X Hunter G2
by OreozFox
Summary: 23 years have passed since Gon took the Hunter Exam, and a lot has happened in those years. Now, a new Hunter Exam is only months away... 11-year-old Kuondo wants to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps and become a Hunter, along his best friends, Pirro, Pietro, and Illuko. What might occur in the 310th Hunter Exam, and the tasks afterward?
1. Chapter 1- A X New X Exam

23 years have passed since Gon began his journey to be a Hunter. A lot of things had happened in those years, and now a new Exam was only months away…

Location: A Middle School in Yorknew City

Kuondo fiddled with his pencil as his teacher blabbed on about history or something. But one thing she said caught his attention. "Do any of you know what will occur 6 months from today?"

Pirro, Kuondo's best friend, eagerly raised his hand. "The 310th Annual Hunter Exam, of course!"

"Tch, know-it all." Pietro muttered.

The teacher nodded. "That's right. Now, I know a handful of you whose parents are Hunters. Are any of you planning to attend this year's Exam?"

A few kids, including Kuondo, Pirro, and Pietro raised their hands. "Oh, good. But I hope you all aren't doing it just to miss school. The office will be providing Applicant Cards for you to pick up if you're interested. Class dismissed."

Pirro met up with Kuondo at his locker. "So, you're gonna try out this year, huh?" Kuondo asked.

"Of course I am! My dad is one of the best Blacklist Hunters basically ever, and he can do all these cool Nen tricks, and-"

"Pirro, your eyes did that thing again." Kuondo interrupted. "Oh! Oops!" Pirro said in surprise, his eyes shining a bright red. He quickly closed them. "Calm down. Calm down."

He said quietly. Then, he opened them back up, back to their normal aquamarine color. "Hehe, sorry, I got excited. Hey, summer's only a little while away, so let's ask our dads to take us both to Whale Island for the summer, just like old times! We can train a lot there!"

Kuondo grinned, slipping on his backpack. "Not a bad idea! Let's stop at your place and ask your dad first. Boy, won't he be surprised?" And with that, they were off.


	2. Chapter 2- A X Familiar X Face

(Hey, Guys! :3 I'm sure you've guessed who Kuondo and Pirro's fathers are, but they'll be officially revealed in this chapter. Thanks for reading!)

"Dad? Are you home?" Pirro called into the house as he opened the door.

"Yes, I'm here." his father answered from the living room. Kuondo followed Pirro inside. Pirro's father, Kurapika, looked up from the book he was reading. "No missions today?" Pirro asked. "Nope, and to be honest, I am quite bored." he turned his gaze to Kuondo. "Oh, hello, Kuondo. Are you staying the night?"

"Actually, we were going to ask you something. You know how the Hunter Exam is only a few months away?" Kurapika nodded slowly. "We were talking about trying it out this year."

"...Oh." Kurapika said, a bit surprised. But then, he smiled, looking quite proud. "Well, then.." he got up from the chair and went over to a closet, fishing around in it for a moment. Then, he got up, holding his old bokken. "You'll need this, for starters." He said, tossing it to Pirro. Pirro looked down at it for a moment, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Wow! Thanks, Dad!" He went over to his father and gave him a big hug.

Looking at them next to each other, Kuondo was astonished at how similar they were. They both had longer blond hair, and the robe Pirro wore was almost identical to his. Pirro had said his mother always told him he got his intelligence from his father, and, according, to Kuondo's father, Kurapika's eyes could turn red too.

"I'm gonna go to Whale Island to train this summer, okay, Dad?" Pirro asked. "I don't see why not." Kurapika responded. "Gon and I will take you. It's been awhile since we've talked."

"Yes!" Kuondo and Pirro said at the same time, running over to each other and doing a high-five. "Hey, Dad, I'm going to Kuondo's house!" Pirro said as he followed Kuondo out the door. "Sure thing!" Kurapika called back. "Kuondo, be sure to tell your father. He'll be happy to hear it!"

"Oh, trust me, I will!" Kuondo called back, heading out the door.

Kurapika smiled, watching the boys disappear down the street. He looked back at a photo on the wall of Gon, Killua, Leorio, and himself when they were young. That was 23 years ago…

"Perhaps history _does_ tend to repeat itself."

(Hey, guys, a few pointers. For starters, Pirro does have a mother, but I didn't show her because, well, I have no clue who she'd be. I do ship Kurapika with someone, as you'd know if you've read my one-shot When We're Done, but I don't want to go _that_ far yet. Also, who can guess how Pirro and Pietro got their names? Answer in your review if you know! Thank you1 :3)


	3. Chapter 3- Sleepovers X And X Nostalgia

Within a month or two, summer was here. Pirro and Kuondo's parents took them both to Whale Island to train. The boys spent their time there reading Gon's old letters to Mito and reading as many Hunter-Related books they could find, trying to learn what to expect from the Hunter Exam, though it wouldn't help much.

When they weren't studying, they were outside training, and playing with foxbear cubs in their free time.

School was back up in two months, but for the last two weeks before the Exam, their parents pulled them out of school for some extra training.

Finally, it was the night before the exam, and Kuondo was staying at Pirro's house.

"Hey, Kuondo," Pirro asked thoughtfully, leaning back against the foot of the bed. "What kind of Hunter do you wanna be?"

"Well…" Kuondo began, thinking for a moment. "I think I want to be a Treasure Hunter, y'know, like in the books we read. What about you?"

"Obviously a Blacklist Hunter!" Pirro said excitedly. "How cool would it be to hunt down bad guys with huge bounties on their heads _every day_?!"

"Pirro, your eyes,"

"Oops!" Pirro closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. "Sorry, I got excited again."

"I can tell." Kuondo grinned mischievously at Pirro. "Well, even as a Blacklist Hunter, you'll never be able to beat me!"

"Oh, yeah?" Pirro quickly grabbed a pillow behind him, wielding it like a slingshot, and hitting Kuondo over the head. Within seconds, a small pillow fight evolved into World War 3.

"You boys had better not be roughhousing up there!" came Kurapika's stern voice from the bottom of the stairs.

"He started it!" Kuondo's muffled voice called from the room, but Pirro continued his attack. Kurapika sighed and made his way up the stairs.

"Boys!" he said again, standing in the doorway and crossing his arms. Pirro dropped the pillow and looked back at his father with a sheepish grin.

"Aren't you supposed to be packing right about now?" Kurapika asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, we did that already!" Pirro replied, opening his bag. Inside it were his bokken, his application card, a book, a couple bottles of water, an apple, and a jacket. It looked more like he was packing for a hike instead of the Hunter Exam.

"Well, alright, but you two should get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Pirro exclaimed, smiling to counter Kuondo's disappointed face. "Illuko said his dad always told him that kids should go to bed early!"

"Funny hearing that from a kid who can literally stay up for 3 days straight…" Kuondo muttered, reluctantly getting under the covers.

Kurapika turned off the light and left the room. As he made his way down the stairs, he smiled as he remembered the time that Gon had come to visit for the first time in five years.

Kuondo and Pirro had been just babies back then.

10 years Ago

Gon sat Kuondo down on the rug and got a closer look at the other infant. "Wow, Kurapika, he's pretty cute, and he really takes after you!"

"Yes, I suppose he does." Kurapika said smiling.

Gon was happy to see Kurapika was living peacefully now, and not having this, well, _sad_ feeling about him. "I'm glad to see you're happy Kurapika. It's comforting."

"Well, why shouldn't I be happy?" Kurapika asked, picking Pirro up. "The Kurta bloodline is living on again."

Kurapika had known since that day that eventually, his son would want to be a Hunter, and relive all the dangers and fun times he had all those years ago.

And now that day had come, and he couldn't be more proud.


	4. Chapter 4- A X Mysterious X Drink

"Wow!" Kuondo and Pirro said in unison, staring at the large train in front of them. "That's the biggest train _ever_!" Pirro said excitedly.

"Pirro, your eyes."

"Sorry!"

"Well, looks like this is where we say goodbye." Kurapika said, kneeling down to the boys' level. "Do your best, and remember that even if you don't make it this year, I'll always be proud of you."

"You don't have to worry!" Kuondo said with a determined glimmer in his eyes, the glimmer Kurapika had seen in Gon's eyes so many times before. "We'll pass this year, without a doubt!"

Kurapika smiled. "And make some good friends, okay?"

"Dad, this isn't summer camp." Pirro teased, hugging his father. Kuondo joined in, but after a moment, the train's whistle blew, signaling for the remaining passengers to board. Kuondo and Pirro hurried onto the train, waving.

Many people were inside the train, and it didn't look like there were any free seats left. "Guess we're kinda late." Pirro said, shrugging.

"Hey, guys!" A familiar voice called from three seats away. It was Pietro, waving at them. Illuko was sitting next to him. "There's room over here!"

"Thank you, Pietro!" Pirro said, hurrying over. As he and Kuondo sat down, Pirro leaned out the window, waving. "Goodbye, Dad!" he called as the train slowly began to move out of the station. As the train picked up speed, Kurapika got smaller and smaller until he was out of sight.

As the train lumbered on, a formally-dressed men followed by dozens of waiters and waitresses came in to the train car. After clearing his throat, the man spoke.

"Welcome to the 310th Annual Hunter Exam, ladies and gentlemen. I am your host for the time you're on this train. The train will reach the Exam Site in approximately two hours. Now, these fine waiters and waitresses will be giving you each two drinks. It is up to you to decide which is poisoned."

A soft murmur of confusion and surprise filled the room. Many applicants were suspiciously eyeing their drinks, some even nudging them away.

"Do not worry, the poisons are not deadly, they are simply a sedative, a sleep medicine. It will knock you out for several hours, so you have no hopes of waking up in time for the Exam. However, if you do not drink at least one of the drinks by the time this train reaches the Exam Site, you will be immediately disqualified."

The four boys stared at each other with wide-eyed expressions. "This guy can't be serious!" Kuondo said, looking nervously down at the two glasses before him.


	5. Chapter 5- Problems X And X Solutions

"Enjoy." The formally-dressed man said, following the waiters and waitresses out of the train car.

"Well, do you think we can tell which is which _without_ tasting it?" Kuondo asked, picking up a glass and eyeing it warily, as if he expected something to jump out of it.

"Not likely." Pirro replied. "Anybody with the slightest bit of intelligence would use a clear, quick-dissolving, scentless, and tasteless drug."

"Know-it-all." Pietro muttered. Pirro made a face at him before continuing.

"So no, we wouldn't be able to tell until it was too late."

"But that's ridiculous!" Pietro said, slamming his hands down on the table between the two seats in exasperation. "This doesn't test us, it's a game of pure chance!"

"That's the point, isn't it?" Illuko said, leaning back in the seat. "Isn't it obvious what they're doing here?"

At first, all three boys stared at him blankly, but suddenly, Pirro's eyes lit up. "So that's it!" he said, tapping his fist into his palm. "Of course!"

"Pirro, your ey-"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up a minute. It isn't pure chance, because both drinks are poisoned!"

"What?!" Pietro said. "But that doesn't make any sense! How on earth do we pass, then? We have to drink one, or we'll be disqualified."

"Unless we slowly build a tolerance to it!" Pirro said. "Kuondo's Dad taught us! You just consume it little by little and expirience the symptoms on a small scale, and work your way up. Eventually, you'll grow immune to its effect!"

"I get it!" Pietro said, nodding. "You're a big nerd, but at least you're making sense!"

"Well, I don't have to do all that." Illuko said. "Poisons and stuff don't work on me."

"Okay, so let's do it!" Kuondo said, and all four boys lifted one of their glasses.

Within two hours, the train came rumbling to a halt. The Examiner came back to inspect, and half of the applicants had been disqualified, the majority of which were asleep.

"Alright, will all remaining applicants follow me?" the Examiner finally said, heading off the train.

As Kuondo stepped off the train, he gasped at what he saw.

It was a forest, a dark, misty one. So misty that he couldn't see anything but the tops of the trees. Not only that, but the deeper into the mist he looked, the darker it became.

"For the first Exam, you will have to cross this forest in 12 hours. Without stopping, it should take at least 8. This forest has many natural traps in it, and criminals tend to hide in this forest, and only the baddest of them seem to not get lost. If you do not think you can handle the dangers, please reboard the train immediately to be escorted back to Yorknew City."

The Exam hadn't scared him much, but looking at this eerie, hidden forest, Kuondo couldn't help but tremble.


	6. Chapter 6- A X Dangerous X Opponent

"You will have two minutes to scatter into the forest, then the 12 hours will start." The Examiner said, holding up a stopwatch. "If you are ready, you may go."

The applicants scattered, disappearing into the mist. Kuondo, Pirro, Pietro, and Illuko decided to stay together as best they could, trying not to wander too far from each other and get lost in the mist. Other than that, for Kuondo and Pirro, who were used to the thick forests on Whale Island, the trip wasn't that hard.

Kuondo trotted through the thick brush, ignoring the outstretched twigs that snagged his clothes. Pirro followed close behind. "Pietro, are you okay?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

Pietro, whose short-but-spiky black hair was covered in leaves, made a face at him. "Yep, just a big picnic back here."

Ignoring the smart aleck comment, Pirro spoke again. "What about you, Illuko?"

Illuko shrugged. It's okay, I guess. I'm just bored. How long have we been running?"

"Two hours," Pirro replied thoughtfully. "Maybe three."

"At least we have a few hours left, then." Kuondo said. Suddenly, he gasped in shock and stopped dead in his tracks, causing the other three to bump into him.

"What the crud was that for?!" Pietro demanded.

Kuondo pointed a finger. When Pietro followed his gaze, he saw a large man, unnaturally muscular and very, very tall. He was standing over one of the Applicants, who was out cold. It looked like the man was about to finish him off.

Pirro rarely got angry, but when he did, he got _really_ angry. "Hey, you!" he called, shoving his way past Kuondo and out of the brush.

"Dummy! What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Pietro whispered fiercely.

"And who the heck are you, brat?" The man asked, looking at him coldly.

"Tch, I should be asking _you_ that! What are you doing to that Applicant?"

"He happened to pass through, and I didn't like his tone. And I'm not sure I like yours, either. They call me Tetsuro, the Bone-Crusher!"

Kuondo made his way to stand beside Pirro. Pirro looked shocked. "My father has mentioned him! His bounty is massive!" Then, he smirked, pulling out his bokken. "Heh, let's see how well I'll do as a Blacklist Hunter, then!" With that, he rushed forward, charging his opponent.

"Crud!" Pietro muttered again. "That idiot's gonna get us all killed!"

Even though he definitely didn't doubt Pirro's fighting skills, Kuondo had to admit that Pietro was right. This was gonna waste all their time! He had to think of a way to finish Tetsuro off!

Suddenly, he got an idea. He pulled his father's old fishing pole out from his backpack and cast the line into the air. The line wrapped around a branch, and Kuondo, leaping into the air, swung towards his target.

Tetsuro had been so occupied with Pirro, he hadn't seen Kuondo coming. Kuondo rammed his fist into the side of Tetsuro's face, causing Tetsuro to stagger to the side. Pirro stared in shock, then smiled. "Nice one!"

But Tetsuro recovered almost immediately. He grabbed the side of Kuondo's face with his large hand and rammed his head into a nearby tree with what felt like all his might.

The last thing Kuondo remembered was the splintering bark scratching his face before he blacked out.


	7. Chapter 7- Pirro's X Hidden X Asset

Kuondo opened his heavy eyelids, his head throbbing in his ears. He put a hand to it, but even slightly brushing his fingertips against it brought a sharp pain jolting through his head.

What he _could_ tell, though, was that his head was wrapped in a bandage. He shifted into a sitting position, wincing.

"See, I told you guys!" Pietro said, putting a hand on Kuondo's shoulder. "He's woken up, and we still have time left!"

"What happened…? Where…?" Tetsuro was gone. Illuko was sitting next to Pietro, looking him over. However, Pirro was sitting two trees over, his head resting on his knees.

"Well, as for the what, that Bone-Crusher guy rammed your head into that tree over there. Luckily for you, though, it's only a minor concussion. As for the where, well, he…" Pietro paused for a moment, casting a worried glance at Pirro. "When you blacked out, Pirro kind of… flipped out."

\- Three Hours Earlier -

"Kuondo!" The boys raced over to where Kuondo lay under the tree. The tree's bark glistened from the drops of blood. Pietro knelt down to examine his fallen friend. A look of relief washed over him. "It's ok, he'll live. It's only a minor concussion."

Illuko looked relieved, too, but Pirro still knelt over Kuondo, and it looked like he was shaking. Shaking with rage.

"How dare you…" Pirro said in a low voice, standing up, his blonde bangs covering his eyes. Then, he whirled around. "Who do you think you are?!" he demanded, his eyes blazing a bright red. Brighter than Pietro and Illuko had ever seen.

However, Tetsuro was unphased. "Ah, I thought that ridiculous robe looked familiar. You're of the Kurta Clan, aren't you? And what a fine pair of Scarlet Eyes. After I kill you, I think I'll take those with me. It'll make a fine addition to all the valuables I have stolen over the years."

Without warning, Pirro charged, going so fast his feet barely skimmed the wet grass below him. He rammed his head into the side of Tetsuro's head, knocking Tetsuro senseless for a couple seconds, but when he whirled around to counter, Pirro disappeared, then reappeared, this time below Tetsuro, knocking his legs out from under him.

Pietro and Illuko stared in shock. They had never seen Pirro fight this way before.

On Tetsuro's way down, Pirro finished his attack with a hard punch to the face, driving Tetsuro to the ground twice as fast. As he struggled to stand, Pirro picked up his bokken, slipping one of the wooden covers off to reveal the steel sword underneath. Quick as a flash, he held the tip to Tetsuro's neck.

"Yes, I am of the Kurta Clan. Consider this showing you what a member is capable of. If this had been my Dad, you would've been dead right now. Now, take this to heart and never touch my friends again, or I will kill you not with this sword," He pricked Tetsuro's skin for emphasis. "But with my bare hands. Now, go."

Tetsuro slowly got to his feet, backing away with slaughter in his eyes. But even he knew better than to challenge Pirro again at this moment. Finally, disappeared into the mist.

Pirro turned to his friends, the scarlet fading from his eyes. "Hey…" he said quietly, wobbling slightly from fatigue. "Is… Kuondo okay?"

Pietro nodded reassuringly. "Yep, he'll be awake in a couple hours."

Pirro gave a weak smile. "That's good… if he isn't awake by the time the exam ends, give him a good… punch for me…" And with that, he passed out, exhausted from the use of the Scarlet Eyes.

"And that's basically the long and short of it." Pietro said.

Kuondo looked at Pirro with concern. Putting a hand to his throbbing head, he struggled to his feet, going over to Pirro and sitting down next to him. "Hey… you okay?"

Pirro nodded sadly. Kuondo put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Pirro?"

Pirro looked at him, his aquamarine eyes filled with emotion. "When Tetsuro hit you, I just got so _angry_. My vision turned completely red, and I had no control over my actions. And… I was gonna kill that guy…" Pirro looked away again.

"But you didn't, did you?" Kuondo said, though it wasn't helping much.

Pirro sighed. "Do you remember that time, when we were little? We were at Whale Island in the summer, and we were catching bugs. We caught a spider and we showed my Dad… do you remember that look he got?"

Kuondo nodded. Kurapika's eyes had turned red for a moment, but he quickly brushed it off and acknowledged our bug-catching skills, but he didn't look at them.

Pirro trembled a bit. "I was so angry at Tetsuro, I didn't care who I hurt who got in my way…" Tears welled up in his eyes. "I hated that feeling. I don't want to end up hurting my friends…!"

Startled, Kuondo turned towards Pirro, who had his face in his hands, still trembling. "O-Oh my gosh! Pirro, no, don't cry! It's okay, I think you did the right thing. I wish I had been awake to see you give that guy a beatdown!"

Pirro looked at him, wiping his eyes. "You mean it?"

Kuondo nodded. "Yeah, of course!"

Pirro smiled slightly. "Well, then, we have 5 or 6 hours left, so we should get going, if your head's better."

Kuondo smiled back. "That's the spirit!" He said, standing up.

"Come on, guys, the Exam's waiting on us!"

And so, once again, they were off.


	8. Chapter 8- An X Easy X Phase?

The four boys raced on through the forest, making their way towards the other side. The natural traps intensified as they advanced, and they got pretty scratched up before long. They were all pretty lucky that Pietro's dad was a doctor, and he had some medical knowledge.

"Hey, Pietro," Kuondo asked over his shoulder. "What happened to the guy Tetsuro was attacking?"

"Oh, he woke up a while before you did. He thanked us and left." Pietro replied.

"Oh, hey guys, I wonder if anyone related to the Applicants from the Exam our parents were in are here?" Kuondo said, smiling at the interesting thought.

The only response he got was a snicker from Pirro. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?"

"Heh, I just imagined Tonpa still being here. Y'know, from the stories?" He answered. Everyone laughed. But suddenly, Pirro got a creeped-out, almost sickened look on his face. "Ugh, now I imagined Hisoka having a kid who took the Exam."

"Thanks for the mental image, Pirro." Pietro said, getting the same expression.

With about another hour or two, they reached the end of the forest, where 10 or so Applicants were waiting. They had to wait a few hours before the remaining Applicants arrived. By now, about 200 Applicants remained out of the 350 that had gotten off of the train.

In another 15 minutes or so, an Examiner arrived to count the remaining Applicants. Then, he motioned for all of them to follow him. After walking for a couple minutes, they came to a river, which looked pretty rough. Across it, like rungs on a ladder, were wooden planks just wide enough to walk across if you were very careful. The Examiner cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the Second Phase of the Exam. We are currently on the shore of the Pino River, one of the roughest rivers in the world. Using these planks, you will have to cross it. If you fall, you will ultimately be swept away and you could possibly drown."

"That's way too easy." Illuko said in an almost whining tone.

"Hey, we just ran for over four hours through a criminal-infested forest, so I'll take what I can get." Pietro replied.

"Oh, I get it. He wants us to remain calm and content even in a difficult situation. If you can't do that, how can you ever learn to use Nen?" Pirro said thoughtfully, taking off his robe and putting it in his bag.

"Wait, how do you know so much about Nen already?" Pietro asked.

"I've been studying Nen since I was 7 years old."

"Know-it-all."

"Smart-aleck!"

Pirro and Pietro glared at each other, practically growling like dogs.

"I hate to interrupt your whirlwind exchange of insults, but it looks like the phase is starting." Illuko said, pointing.

Each Applicant stepped gingerly onto a plank and began to teeter across, some faster than others. Everything seemed normal, and Kuondo was beginning to agree with Illuko. This _was_ too easy. Something wasn't right…

The second those thoughts passed through his mind, all of the Applicants were suddenly consumed by a dark purple fog of Nen.


	9. Chapter 9- An X Easy X Pass?

As the rush of dark purple Nen took over the applicant, the air filled with cries of alarm. A few applicants stumbled and fell off of the plank they were standing on.

Kuondo felt a chill run up his spine. _Is this bloodlust?_ The air around him was tight and pressed against him, and it felt so cold…

"I figured some of you applicants felt that this test was too easy, but in reality, it was made to eliminate the large number of this year's applicants. Some of you may know what this strange wave of energy is. If you can reach the other side of the river freely, that probably means you already know Nen. If so, you are _far_ beyond the expectations of the Examiners, and you will only have to take one more phase. and you pass. If you can't and stay where you are, you must take the remaining 4 or 5 phases. If you fall, you fail."

Pirro pumped his fist a couple of times. "Yes! I knew this would come in handy!" Then, after taking a deep breath, the purple Nen surrounding him was replaced by a lighter blue aura, and Pirro made his way across the plank with little trouble.

Kuondo himself had been studying Nen for a while, so this phase was gonna be a piece of cake! He mimicked Pirro, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He felt a warm aura cover him. Eyes still closed,Kuondo raised his arm up, and it passed through the dark purple Nen like it was air. Then, taking light, careful steps, he made his way to the other side of the river.

Five minutes passed, and Kuondo, Pirro, Pietro, Illuko, and four other applicants crossed the river. A new Examiner, a tall and lanky one with dark hair came to greet them.

"Well done, you guys. I definitely didn't expect some of the ones who passed to be so young. How old are you, kid?" he asked, turning to Pirro. "I'm eleven, sir!" Pirro replied cheerily.

Shaking his head in amazement, the Examiner motioned for the Applicants to follow. After a few minutes of walking, they reached a long tunnel with no end in sight. As the Applicants entered the tunnel, the Examiner disappeared for a moment, allowing the Applicants to converse.

A dark blue-haired teenager turned to the Applicants. "There are some young Applicants this year, huh? And I heard from my parents that not many girls took the Exam in one year, let alone pass. And this year, two girls made it here!"

"Well, that's not sexist at all." An aquamarine-haired girl a bit older than Kuondo muttered.

Pietro looked around in confusion. "Huh? I only see one girl!"

The teenager pointed. "Y'know, the aquamarine-haired one," he said, pointing to the girl Pietro saw, "and the blonde one." he said, pointing to Pirro.

Pirro was taken aback. " _Excuse_ you?!" he asked in bewilderment. Kuondo, Pietro, and Illuko struggled to hold in their laughter.

"Is something wrong?" the teenager asked, confused,

Pirro shook his head in annoyance. "I'm sorry, you must be confused. I'm a boy."

"Ack!" the teenager said, his eyes widening. "W-woah, I'm sorry about that!" Kuondo, Pietro, and Illuko cracked up laughing. Pirro tried to look annoyed, but he laughed a bit, too.

"I don't know how you got confused." The girl said, going over to Pirro. "I could easily tell he was a boy, and a rather cute one at that." She playfully touched a finger to Pirro's cheek.

Pirro blushed. "Eheheh…"

"Pirro, your eyes." Kuondo said with a teasing smirk while Pietro folded his arms and mimed _'no fair!'._ The teenager raised an eyebrow. "Rather flirtatious, isn't she?" he said, and Illuko nodded, but secretly he smiled smugly at Pirro with his father's signature cat face.

The teenager introduced himself as Aruko, and the girl's name was Lillian, but she said to call her Lily.

Finally, the Examiner returned, holding eight shreds of cloth. He put them down and knelt down to about Kuondo's level. He motioned to Pirro. "Come here, son."

Pirro went over to him. The Examiner put one hand on his shoulder, and began forming a bright shroud of aura around his hand. Then, he placed the glowing hand across Pirro's eyes, and his hand began shining brightly.

Pirro gasped and tried to pull away, but the Examiner kept a tight grip on his shoulder, staying him. Kuondo already felt on edge, but his eyes widened in alarm as Pirro cried out.

(Woo, it's finally done! :) The real reason I wanted to give that twist to the exam is because I ran out of ideas! :P First, of all, I want to thank all of you who read this! This was originally a fun miniseries I didn't even like a lot, but then I saw how much you guys liked it and that gave me the drive to make this my main fic. Second, I want to personally thank Kigamin for all of her kind reviews and suggestions! I appreciate them so much! Be sure to check out her fic Poisoned Amaryllis, it's incredible! :) And lastly, do you think Pirro and Lillian should be a thing? XD Anyway I hope you liked it (and its cat face references :P And I will see you all later!)


	10. Chapter 10- Blind X as a X Bat

"Guwaaah!" Pirro stumbled backwards, falling into a sitting position, covering his eyes with one hand. He gritted his teeth and winced.

"Pirro!" Kuondo raced to his side, kneeling beside him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm okay, Kuondo, really." Pirro said, trying his best to sound reassuring, but his voice was laced with pain.

"You jerk, what did you do?" Pietro demanded.

"Calm down, boys, it's all part of the Exam. Let me see your friend, Kuondo." The Examiner said, kneeling in front of Pirro. He picked up one of the shreds of cloth and began wrapping it around Pirro's head to cover his eyes. "I used my Nen to shut off his Gyo and temporarily blind him. He'll be able to see again in about a day. You see, in this phase, you must make it to the end of this tunnel without being able to see. It's a way to see how well you can use your other senses. Like in the phase before last, you'll be given 12 hours."

Kuondo nodded nervously. "Y-You can do me next." he said.

"Alright." The Examiner put his hand across Kuondo's eyes. "Now, hold still."

First, Kuondo could hear a humming sound, and his eyes felt warm. But suddenly, the darkness of his closed eyes was filled with a dazzling, yet blinding light. Kuondo agonized gasp as the warmness in his eyes twisted into a sudden burning. It felt like his eyes were on fire.

Finally, the Examiner lifted his hand, and Kuondo staggered backwards. It took at least ten seconds for the light to die down, and the burning still ebbed at the back of his head. He held still as his head was wrapped in the cloth.

"Alright, six of you still need to be you have been properly blinded, you may proceed into the tunnel.

Immediately, Kuondo and Pirro regained their composure and began down the tunnel, walking slowly and awkwardly until they got used to being unable to see. Then, they walked a bit faster.

Kuondo rubbed his nose a couple of times with his thumb and sniffed the air. His father had taught him to develop a sharp sense of smell. He could smell the outdoors of the other side, but it was very faint. At the very least, it would take them between four and eleven hours to get there, depending on their speed.

"So," Kuondo said, breaking the silence, "what'd you think of that Lillian girl, huh?"

"Oh…" Pirro said, embarassed. "Well, she was nice…"

"Was she pretty?'

"It would be impolite to say she wasn't."

"Is that because it's impolite to lie?"

"Kuondo!"

As they started to talk, they eventually forgot about the trouble of being blind.

Two hours passed, and Pirro stopped in his tracks. "Kuondo, get back!" he said quickly, and both instinctively jumped back. Kuondo filled with alarm as he heard the ground in front of him fall away.

"There must be traps everywhere." Pirro said. "We can clear the jump, I think. We have to try."

And so they did. Luckily, the trench in the ground wasn't very wide.

Two more hours passed, and they came to a divided path. Luckily, due to Kuondo's sharp sense of smell, they were able to determine that the left path was filled with poisonous fumes and the right one was clear.

A few hours and many traps later, Kuondo felt himself step into knee-deep water. Within another step, it was chest-deep.

"Oh, no…" he said as he felt the strong current. "Did we go the wrong way? Are we going to drown…?"

If they were, was all this work in the Exam…

...all for nothing?

Kuondo: It's time for Kuondo's...

Pirro: And Pirro's…

Both: HunterPedia!

Kuondo: Today, we introduce Pietro Paldaknight! He's Pirro's and my friend!

Pirro: Pietro was named after his father's late friend, and Pietro wants to be a Hunter like his Dad, just like us! Ugh, but he can be such a smart aleck!

Kuondo: Ah, but don't let him hear you, he can really blow his stack!

Both: Shhh!

Kuondo: Next Time on HxH G2, Passes X And X Letters! I can't believe we took the Exam is just over 2 days! Don't miss it!


	11. Chapter 11- Passes X And X Letters

Kuondo felt himself being pushed along by the water. He could hear a loud rushing sound about ten feet away, which must've meant the water dropped out of the end of the tunnel in means of a waterfall.

So… they had made it?

But worry still ebbed in his mind. How far down _was_ the fall?

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a splash below.

Pirro? When had he fallen? Was he alright?

Kuondo tried to struggle against the current, but it didn't make much diffeence.

"Pirro!" he tried to yell over the _whoosh_ of the fast-moving water.

"It's okay, Kuondo!" Pirro yelled back. "It's not very far!"

Kuondo breathed a sigh of relief and let himself be carried out of the tunnel. Then, with a splash, he landed in the water below.

Kuondo and Pirro waded to the shore and sat down on it, catching their breath.

"Aw, man," Pirro said in annoyance. "My robe got wet, too! I hope the Examiners have some extra clothes."

"Congratulations, boys." They heard a voice say. "You have passed the 310th Hunter Exam!"

"Yes!" After a moment of awkwardly trying to find each other's hands, they did a fist bump.

Later, they were taken to a building with a few hospital-like rooms in it, which was where their injuries would be treated.

Kuondo finally got his concussion treated, and both boys got eyedrops to help them regain their sight.

A few hours later, an Examiner entered their room and gave them their Hunter's Licenses.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," the Examiner said, reaching in his pocket. "This is for you." He handed Pirro an envelope with his name on it.

Pirro opened it as the Examiner left the room. He smiled. "It's from Dad!"

He read it closely. Suddenly, he gasped, his eyes being washed over by a deep shade of red.

"What's wrong?" Kuondo asked, going over and sitting on Pirro's bed, taking the letter.

It read: _Dear Pirro and Kuondo,_

 _Hello! I don't think I have to ask you how the Exam went, because knowing you boys, you've probably long since passed. So, good job!_

 _I'm sorry I couldn't come and visit you in person, it's because I had to stay with your mother._

 _You'll be glad to know that she isn't sick or anything. Quite the contrary. But, Pirro, I've heard you discussing it with Kuondo since you were five, and how much you hoped for it to happen…_

 _You're going to be a big brother!_

 _I can't wait for you to come home and show me your License, but until then, goodbye!_

 _Sincerely, Kurapika_

"No _way_!" Kuondo said, for once not blaming Pirro's eyes for changing. "Pirro, that's great, man! Do you want a brother or a sister?"

"O-oh!" Pirro snapped out of his trance, the scarlet fading from his eyes. "Well, either one's fine. I'm just so happy, it's finally gonna happen!"

After recovering, Kuondo and Pirro went to the Hunter Initiation, where they were surprised to find that everybody who went into the tunnel with them passed. The Examiners told them the advantages of being Hunters, and then they were allowed to leave.

As Kuondo, Pirro, Pietro, and Illuko prepared to board the airship that would take them back to YorkNew, Aruko and Lily came to say goodbye to them.

"Bye, guys, it was nice meeting you." Aruko said, shaking hands with each one of them. "Sorry I misgendered you, Pirro."

Pirro laughed. "It's fine, really."

"Goodbye, everyone!" Lily said, waving.

"Pirro would like to personally say goodbye to you, Lily." Pietro said mischievously, pushing Pirro forward. "I mean, he really likes ya."

"Come on, Pietro!" Pirro protested, embarrassed.

Lily laughed and went over to them. "That's cute," she said, giving Pirro a kiss on the head, "You're cute."

Pirro stopped struggling against Pietro and froze, his face turning almost as red as his eyes. "I-I...um…"

Kuondo laughed, waving goodbye to both of them. "So long! I'll see you guys sooner or later!"

"Sounds good!" Aruko said, boarding one of the airships, and the four boys boarded another.

"So, what's the plan, now that we're Hunters?" Pietro asked.

Kuondo thought for a moment. "Pirro probably wants to be home with his family for a while, so… let's say we all go to Whale Island in six months to practice our Nen, and then we'll go to the Hunter Agency to officially get our jobs!"

"Sounds like a plan." Illuko said, smiling. They all put their hands together, saying, "Whale Island, in six months!"

Now, Kuondo and his friends have become Hunters, but what challenges will they face in the future?

Season 1 End -

Kuondo: It's Kuondo's-

Pirro: And Pirro's-

Both: Hunterpedia!

Kuondo: Today, we introduce Illuko Zoldyck! He's another friend of ours! He's learned all of his father's assassin techniques, but his father told him to only use them to protect his friends!

Pirro: Hey, did you know that Illuko's actually older than us?

Kuondo: That's funny, 'cause he's only 4'9''!

Both: Heehee!

Season 2 Preview -

Kuondo ran alongside Pietro, carrying Pirro on his back. Luckily, he could still feel Pirro breathing, but it was very weak and slow.

Pirro was slipping away.

Crazed by the thought of losing his best friend, Kuondo looked around wildly, trying to see through the pouring rain.

"You gotta hang in there, Pirro!" he whispered urgently, then called, "Help! Somebody, please, help us! Our friend's dying!"

But nobody seemed to be around.


	12. Season 1 Character Guide

(Hey, guys! Long time no see, I guess? Even though it's only been a week or so… i don't know why, but I feel bad for not giving a good description of the characters before shoving you guys into an _extremely_ rushed Exam. So, here it is!)

 **The HxH G2 Season 1 Character Guide!**

First off is…

Kuondo Freecs!

An 11-year-old boy with hair and eyes identical to his father's. He wears an unzipped blue jean jacket with a white tank top underneath, green shorts, and dark green boots.

He is very determined and can be stubborn at times, but his intelligence is quite sharp for his age. His favorite pastimes are fishing and causing mischief with Pirro, and his favorite food is fish, specifically Whale Island fish. Kuondo is just over 5 feet tall and weighs 105 lbs. His birthday is August 8th. Kuondo learned Nen at 8 years old and is and Enhancer. He desires to be a Treasure Hunter. (Fact: Kuondo was named after the editor of the Dragon Ball manga.)

Pirro (Kurta…? Idk)

An 11-year-old boy with blonde hair reaching just to his shoulders, which is straight but is slightly messy at the top. He also has aquamarine eyes. He wears a small Kurta-style robe similar to Kurapika's Yorknew City robe with a white fighting outfit underneath, with an additional tank top under the white top. He also wears blue Kurta-style slippers. Pirro was named after Kurapika's childhood friend, Pairo. He is very cheery and friendly to almost everyone. He can get a bit excited when talking about Hunters, causing his eyes to turn scarlet. Seeing anyone hurting someone weaker than them (especially if the weaker one is one of his friends) he can get very angry and do reckless things. Aside from that, like his father, whom he looks up to very much, he is very intelligent. Pirro's favorite pastimes are reading and causing mischief with Kuondo, and his favorite food is sushi. He is 5 feet 1 inches tall and weighs 106lbs. His birthday is on September 9th. Pirro learned Nen at 7 years old and is an Emitter. Pirro desires to work alongside his father as a Blacklist Hunter.

Pietro Paldaknight (I hope I spelled that right :P)

An 11-year-old boy with short, spiky black hair and dark blue eyes. He wears a white tank top, blue jeans and black tennis shoes. He was named after Leorio's late friend. Pietro can have a bit of a short temper, and he often teases Pirro for being a 'know-it-all', often causing the two to begin arguing, much to the annoyance of Kuondo and Illuko. However, he is very friendly once you get to know him, and he is willing to go out of his way to help his friends in times of need. He possesses some medical knowledge passed down from his father, and can often determine injury from sight alone. Pietro's favorite pastimes are being outdoors (especially on Whale Island) and any type of exercise, and his favorite foods are everything sweet. He is 5 feet tall and weighs 106 lbs. Pietro learned Nen at 9 years old and is a Transmuter. His birthday is on October 10th. He desires to be a Beast Hunter.

Illuko Zoldyck

An 11-year-old boy with messy, silvery white hair and blue eyes. He wears an unzipped blue jean jacket with a black tank top underneath and a light blue scarf around his neck. He wears blue jeans and black tennis shoes. Illuko can be kind of smug at times, and wears a catlike grin when something embarrassing happens to one of his friends. He also tends to be one step ahead of his friends in terms of strategy. Illuko was trained to be immune to poisons and all manners of torture, and was also trained in a number of assassin's tricks by his father, but his father always warned him to only use these techniques for the good of his friends. His favorite pastimes are exploring anywhere and everywhere, and like Pietro, he really likes sweets (especially ChocRobots). He also tends to have a soft spot for animals. Illuko is 4 feet 9 and a half inches tall and weighs 102 lbs. His birthday is June 6th. Illuko learned Nen at 7 years old and is a also desires to be a Crime Hunter.

 **Original HxH Characters**

Gon Freecs

Now in his mid-30s, Gon has become a strong Hunter like his father, and now lives in Yorknew City (although he takes Kuondo to Whale Island every summer). Gon wears a white headband, a lime-colored scarf, an unzipped green jacket with a white tank top underneath, blue jeans and dark green boots. After travelling around with Ging as a teenager, Gon has become an Archaeological Hunter, and a well-known one at that.

Killua Zoldyck

Also in his mid-30s, Killua now resides in Yorknew City, but goes on monthly trips with Illuko to the Zoldyck household or to visit Illuko's cousins. He typically wears a white T-shirt, black vest, blue jeans and black tennis shoes. Killua now works alongside Kurapika as a Blacklist Hunter. He trained Iluko from a young age the ways of the assassin, but having been inspired by Gon, he made Illuko promise he'd only use these things for the good of his friends.

Leorio Paldaknight

Now in his early 40s, Leorio has become one of the best doctors in Yorknew City. He wears an outfit similar to his old one. He also taught Pietro some medical skills, knowing they might come in handy for when he became a Hunter.

Kurapika

Now in his late 30s, Kurapika has become on of the best Blacklist Hunters around. He usually wears a black suit at work, but he wears a robe similar to his Yorknew City outfit at home. Gon has said that since Kurapika finally settled, he became a lot happier and a lot more laid-back. Ever since Pirro was still very young, Kurapika encouraged him to become a Hunter, and often read him the same book that he and Pairo read as children.

 **Side Characters**

Tetsuro the Bone-Crusher

A renowned thief also accused of assault and murder. He currently lives in the misty forest seen in the Exam, which is where he hides his stolen treasures. Tetsuro has stated that one of the few valuables he hasn't acquired is a pair of Scarlet Eyes. It is unknown what happened to him after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Pirro, but it is likely that Pirro will eventually capture him once he becomes a Blacklist Hunter.

Aruko

A 15-year-old boy who got an early pass in the 310th Hunter Exam because he already knew Nen. He wears a turquoise jacket, a white headband, blue jeans and black running shoes, and has spiky dark blue hair and blue eyes. Aruko can be a bit clueless, but is very considerate towards those he meets. It is possible he is related to one of the Applicants from the Exam Gon passed.

Lillian (Lily)

A 13-year-old girl who also got an early pass. She has long, wavy aquamarine hair, emerald green eyes, and wears a loose pink shirt over a black tank top, jean shorts, and blue sneakers. Lily is shown to be a bit flirtatious, particularly towards Pirro, often calling him 'cute'. It is possible she is also related to an Applicant from the 287th Exam.


End file.
